Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament from People's Republic of China and Marmara Group Foundation held a common meeting about the Philosophy of Silk Road in Istanbul. In the meeting, besides Silk Road as well as Turkish - China NGO relations issue revived to agenda. In the opening speech of the meeting, Dr. Suver said, "Most of you as we already know before, precious People's Republic of China's distinguished people, to see you in my country makes me and my friends very happy". Akkan Suver's speech is as exactly follows;

Dear President Ma Biao,

Dear distinguished guests whom honored us from China,

I greet you in the name of Marmara Group Foundation.

Welcome to Istanbul.

I greet esteemed Members of Parliament honored us from Ankara and distinguished Representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey with all respect.

Our relations with Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament has commenced in 2013 and has been going on with the common endeavors in international meetings successfully.

As Marmara Group Foundation, we attach great importance to works of Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament.

Furthermore, the subject of peace is the main topic of Marmara Group Foundation in the Eurasian Economic Summits which has been held for seventeen years.

The opinion of Marmara Group Foundation about peace is like Great Leader Atatürk’s view: “Peace at home, Peace in the World”.

Therefore, Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament attracted our attention due to the inscription of “peace” on it.

It is important to see in Bosnia-Herzegovina in past years and also currently in the Middle East that arms are harmful to the World.

For that reason, Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament is one of the most important components of our age. However, another important topic “Silk Road” brought us together.

As Marmara Group Foundation, we think that Silk Road is project of the age.

Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament attaches great importance to Silk Road.

China attaches great importance to Silk Road not only through land but also by the sea. Marmara Group Foundation describes philosophy of Silk Road as welfare, prosperity and peace initiative. The project reaches from Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Iran to Turkey and Russia. With this project, welfare, prosperity and peace will occur. Moreover, with this economic corridor from Middle East, Caucasus to Balkans the Silk Road project will reach cultural dimensions and reach to England by passing from Turkey, Balkans and Central Europe. With “Marmaray” and “Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway” Projects, it will be “Silk Road Railway” from Beijing to London.

In the last, this road formed by silk trade and it will reach from Pacific Ocean to Atlantic Ocean with energy lines, industrial products in the next. With the usage of Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea will be in Silk Road map.

Turkey has key role on this bridge.

Turkey has important logistics and transportation possibilities and has great geostrategic position that meets Europe to Asia, Asia to Europe, Africa to Asia, Europe and World. For that reason we pay attention to Silk Road.

The friendship between People’s Republic of China and Turkey is a historical heritage and this friendship is pioneer for actualizing the Silk Road project.

Dear Guests,

I would like to pay your attention to a subject.

The World is changing and evaluating day by day.

When I am speaking here now, in one minute new videos of maybe a hundred hours has been uploaded to the Youtube in the web.

347.222 photographs have been shared in Whatsapp.

220.000 new posts have been realized in Instagram. 447.180 tweet sent and 4 million Google searches have been realized.

This numbers indicate that humanity is seeking for a change.

In this changing world, Silk Road opens new horizons, new opinions, new formations concerning energy and industry in the new map from China to the World and also from the World to China.

We, Marmara Group Foundation, name this formation as “Silk Road philosophy”.

And, we believe in this “philosophy”.

Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament and People’s Republic of China support our Silk Road philosophy and it pleases and gives us power.

Within this changing World, trade is changing, economy is changing, energy is changing and I believe that the Silk Road will be the new name of the “change”.

I greet you all, with respect.

On behalf of Chinese delegation He Jun took the floor and he said "Thank you very much; we would like to sincerely express our closeness. Head of our delegation Mr. Ma is one of the leaders of Chinese Communist Party. This is his first time to Turkey where a while later he will appeal to you. He will remark our thoughts and suggestions."During his visits to the Central Asia and Southeast Asia respectively in September and October of 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping made the significant proposals of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Also in 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted the decision on comprehensively deepening reforms. Recently, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approved the decision on comprehensively advancing the rule of law. These two decisions are major strategies for China’s reform and development, of which the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt is a critical part.

Since its initiation, the proposal to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt has received broad response and proactive support from various Asian and European countries, including Turkey. The proposal has become a joint action by China and countries in these regions to promote mutual benefits and win-win outcomes. With the theme of peace, development, coorperation and win-win results, the proposal aims at promoting policy communication, road connectivity, trade facilitation, currency circulation, and the understanding between peoples. It is conducive to the common economic development and prosperity for countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt, and the exchanges and mutual learning among different peoples and civilizations in various countries and regions. It will bring brand new oppotunities to the common development of over 50 countries along the Belt, including Turkey, yield tangible benefits to nearly 3.8 billion people, and provide momentum for the peace, development and cooperation of the region and the world.

Turkey is an important country linking the Silk Road from Northwest China to Central Asia, West Asia, Persian Gulf, and Mediterranean Sea, with the Maritime Silk Road from Northwest China to South Asia and Indian Ocean. By actively engaging in a joint effort to build the Silk Road Economic Belt, China and Turkey have seized great opportunities and bright prospects for the common development, mutual benefits and win-win results for both countries, and the wellbeing of both countries and peoples. Hereby, I would like to make several suggestions regarding this respect.

First, enhance political mutual trust and improve security situations.

China and Turkey are both countries with strategic perspectives. The two countries should properly steer the bilateral relationship from a strategic level with a long-term perspective, respect each other, act in favor of each other’s major concerns, and expand mutual interests. China and Turkey are both confronted with the threats of separatism, extremism and terrorism, and therefore should firmly support each other and closely cooperate on critical matters, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and security. The East Turkestan terrorist groups are hindering China’s national security and social stability, and affecting China’s core interests. China commends Turkey’s support for the One-China Policy and its respect for China’s independence, sovereign rights and territorial integrity. China emphasizes that Xinjiang is an integral part of China’s territory, and China is utterly against any actions taken by anyone within the borders of Turkey to sabotage the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China.

Over the years, China and Turkey have been enhancing their cooperation in major regional issues, and jointly coping with various security challenges. At the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in May this year, Turkey actively supported and responded to the New Asian Security Perspective advocated by China. The two sides should uphold the New Asian Security Perspective which highlights common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, practice zero-tolerance to terrorism, separatism and extremism, enhance cooperation and step up crack-down efforts, so as to ensure that people of the two countries and the region live happily on a peaceful land.

Second, jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and spare no effrots to promote policy communication.

In the new global era, a regional cooperation blueprint can only stay dynamic and promising when it brings mutual benefits, and win-win outcomes to all the parties involved. Turkey’s goal to become one of the top ten world economies by 2023 represents Turkey’s dream to become a strong country with affluent people. This dream echoes with Chinese people’s dream to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. China aims at doubling the GDP and average income of rural and urban residents by 2020 as compared to 2010, completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, and establishing an affluent, strong, democratic, civilized and harmonious socialist modern country by the middle of the century. We vividly refer to this goal as the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

In realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, comprehensively deepening reforms is the major driving force, and rule of law is the important guarantee. Last year, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made important arrangements for comprehensively deepening reforms, and identified 60 reform tasks. The critical part is to properly handle the relationship between the government and the market, so that the market would play a decisive role in distributing resources, while the government would also play a better role. In this way, the society will stay creative and self-driven; the development will be more efficient, fair and sustainable. This will lay a solid foundation for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Comprehensively deepening reforms is about forging driving force through reforms. By pushing for deeper reforms, China will be able to further open up, streamline administrative approvals, delegate power, expand market access, create a business friendly environment, encourage fair competition, and stimulate the creativity of the society. Comprehensively deepening reforms is about forging driving force through restructuring. China will address issues including the gap between rural and urban areas and different regions, and unreasonable industrial structures, so as to push restructuring by structural reforms. Comprehensively deepening reforms is about forging driving force through improving people’s quality of life. With a population of 1.3 billion, China is the world’s largest consumption market. China aims at continuously improving people’s quality of life, so that domestic demand will greatly boost economic growth. Recently, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approved the decision on comprehensively advancing the rule of law, and rolled out more than 180 reform measures, which are of significant meaning for the rule of law. According to the decision, with the new situations and new tasks, China should better coordinate the domestic and international situations, sustain and seize the period featuring important opportunities for development, coordinate social forces, balance social interests, adjust social relations, and regulate social behaviors, so as to ensure the social dynamism and order during the profound reforms, and realize social development, political integrity, cultural prosperity, social justice and sound eco-environment. In order to realize the strategic goal of peaceful development, China should give full play to the leading and regulating role of the rule of law. According to the decision, the major tasks are to improve a socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics, in which the Constitution is taken as the core, to strengthen the implementation of the Constitution, to promote administration by law, to speed up building a law-abiding government, to safeguard judicial justice, to improve judicial credibility, to promote the public awareness of rule of law, to enhance the building of a law-based society, to improve team building and to sharpen the CPC's leadership in pushing forward the rule of law. The rule of law upholds the authority of the constitution, protects people’s rights and interests, preserves social fairness and justice, and safeguards national security and stability. It serves as the powerful legal guarantee for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the year marking the centennial anniversary of the Communist Party of China, establishing an affluent, strong, democratic, civilized and harmonious socialist modern country by the year marking the centennial anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, and realizing the Chinese Dream of the great revival of the Chinese nation.

China and Turkey shall have thorough exchanges in the strategies and policies for economic development. In the light of seeking common ground while maintaining differences, we may discuss and formulate cooperation blueprints and measures. We believe that if China and Turkey could coordinate strategies and complement each other with our respective advantages, critical energy will be converged to boost the economic development and prosperity of the two countries and the region.

Third, proactively promote infrastructure connectivity to build the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Logistics facilitation is a strong driving force for economic and social development. Turkey has proposed its plan to revive the Silk Road, which echoes with China’s proposal to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Connecting Asia and Europe, Turkey is an integral stop on the ancient Silk Road, and a land, sea and air transportation hub in today’s Middle East. Turkey has been actively constructing the railway artery running from east to west, and built the high speed railway from Ankara to Istanbul, the underwater channel in Marmara Sea, and the Erdine-Kars high speed rail. Turkey has also been building gas and oil pipelines, upgrading airports and extending air routes. China has advanced and cost-effective technologies and complete plants, as well as rich construction experience in energy, transportation and communication infrastructure. China is willing to join hands with Turkey to promote the New Eurasia Land Bridge, and strive to make it a growth pole integrating transportation, oil and gas pipelines, communication cables, logistics, trade and commerce, so as to deepen regional cooperation.

Fourth, insist on expanding opening-up and deepen practical cooperation.

We must further open up. Only when we open up to each other can we nurture an inclusive market with sustainable growth, and become stable long term partners. China and Turkey are both at the key stage of developing economy and improving people’s well-being, and are both confronted with the urgent task of accelerating economic restructuring. China and Turkey should open markets to each other, learn from each other’s strengths, and complement each other, so as to become stable long term partners. Both sides should deepen the cooperation in aspects including customs, quality inspection, logistics, electronic commerce, and border control of personnel. Both sides should adopt broader perspectives, mindsets and tolerance to promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment and provide conditions for the sufficient flow of factors including commodity, service and capital in the region, so as to improve the speed and quality of regional economic circulation and realize mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.

We must deepen practical cooperation. Economic and trade cooperation is an important pillar of the bilateral friendly relations. After three decades of reform and development, China’s economy is growing rapidly. Last year, the GDP is around 9.3 trillion USD, up by 7.7% year on year. GDP per capita and total foreign trade reached 7000 USD and 4.16 trillion USD respectively. In the next five years, China will import 10 trillion USD worth of goods, make over 500 billion USD overseas investments, and register around 500 million overseas visits paid by Chinese tourists. Countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt will be the first beneficiaries. In recent years, China and Turkey have scored new heights in economic and trade relations. Turkey has become a strategic destination of China’s trade and project contracting. In the first half of this year, the trade volume between China and Turkey has reached 11 billion USD. I believe that as the Silk Road Economic Belt further consolidates, China-Turkey practical cooperation will embrace new development opportunities. China will roll out a series of favorable policies to encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt; more Chinese enterprises will make investments and set up plants in Turkey. The two sides have broad cooperation prospects in aspects including economy, trade, finance, energy, aviation, high speed rail, road, and tourism.

Fifth, enhance people to people and cultural exchanges and consolidate the mutual understanding between peoples.

The ancient Silk Road witnessed a long-lasting friendship forged by peoples of different countries. A joint effort to build the Silk Road Economic Belt will surely boost the exchanges and mutual learning of different civilizations. The Chinese civilization is time-honored and profound; the Turkish civilization is drawn from a convergence of the East and the West. They both represent the essence of human labor and wisdom. Currently, Turkey is witnessing a fashion of learning the Chinese language. More and more Turkish people are focusing on China and learning the Chinese culture; a growing number of Chinese are also attracted to the profound history and culture of Turkey. We must promote people to people, cultural and social cooperation, and support the exchanges through multiple channels and levels among civil groups, think tanks, universities and media, so as to nurture understanding and friendship between two peoples. Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament is the largest civil peace organization in China. We are willing to conduct exchanges and cooperation with the Marmara Group Foundation and other mainstream think-tanks and civil organizations, so as to enhance the mutual understanding and friendship between two peoples, promote practical cooperation and development between two countries, and make positive contributions to preserving peace and security of the world and the region.

Today, the ancient Silk Road is unleashing new dynamisms. The peoples of China and Turkey shall shoulder the historic responsibility, and strive unremittingly to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and create a beautiful life for themselves.

I want to express immediately, to come closer and create a new future we have to make a common civil society projects, we can make a seminar, with the concrete projects, we can lead the way.

Afterwards, the head of delegation Ma Biao take the floor: 

In reply to President Ma Biao, Dr. Akkan Suver said: “I agree with you. I emphasize that relations between people of Turkey and China is important and we attach importance to cooperation between both countries. We should discuss the stability and sustainability. We would like to make closer both side of Asia. For that reason, we are grateful due to gathering with you four times”.

Consul General of People’s Republic of China Gu Jingqi said: “As Consul General of China, I would like to present my thanks to the delegations of CPAPD and Marmara Group Foundation. 2000 years ago, Silk Road has connected people of China and Anatolia. Last year, President of People’s Republic of China brought forward the idea of reviving of the Silk Road. This new economic corridor will provide development for countries of the region. Turkey and China are friends of trade. There are cooperative basic for trade between both countries. The future is bright. Cultural contacts increased. Last year, 200 thousand Chinese tourists came to Turkey. We should aim one million tourists.

Chinese tourists who visited the world countries last year is one hundred million. Chinese tourists should come to Turkey more. With the seminar today, we will increase the meetings of “win-win”. Next year, G-20 Summit will be held in Turkey. China will attend the summit. In my opinion, the years of 2015-2016 will be the years of enterprises for China and Turkey. This seminer is important for stability of relations. We, as Consulate, attach great importance to relations with Marmara Group Foundation”.

On behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Department of Asia-Pacific Deputy Director General Ambassador Hakan Kıvanç attended to the meeting and said: “In speeches we made, your opinions are coinciding with ours. This year reciprocal visits realized. As you know, our relations depend on history. In Silk Road project, ideas of President of People’s Republic of China H.E. Şi coincide with ours. With the visits of the President and Prime Minister, relations between China and Turkey will increase. Visa procedures will be made easier. Now, the number of Chinese tourist is approximately 139.000. Our aim is to increase the number of tourist to one million.  Our deficit of trade is 22 billion dollar. We should decrease the deficit. We have been supporting Silk Road project when President of People’s Republic of China declared it. It is important for us in context of security and strategic partnership with China.

Ertuğrul Kumcuoğlu said: “Position of participants goes beyond civil society. I am impressed by presentation. I claim Turkish and English translations of the speech of Ma Biao. Silk Road is not one line. In basic there are two lines. One is through north of Himalayas. The other one is through south of Himalayas, under Black Sea, over Turkey. The second is the important one due to the population. Maybe third line can be occurred. Transportation between China and Europe by the sea takes one month. With land transportation the time can be decreased to one week”.

Prof. Dr. Sema Kalaycıoğlu said: “Agreement on Asia Pacific is important for Turkey and the World. In this context, we would like to learn Middle East and Balkan policies of China as member of UN Security Council.

Cafer Okray said: “Trade numbers can change rapidly. The important thing is investments.

Military Attache of China Cui Enxiong said: “Silk Road project has been occurred by civil societies of both countries. We have been prepared for this seminar. We understand that our leaders aware of the expectations and problems”.

Secretary General of Chinese Delegation Zhu Rui said: “China attaches importance to economic problems. We sent a Delegation for preliminary examination. We helped Turks for the introduction of Turkish products in China. We expect that Turkish companies should go for introduction of Turkish products by visiting to China. This seminar is beneficial today. Your opinions coincide with ours. We are glad. We can increase the cooperation by visiting and discussing in the context of “win-win”.